Friday Farmers Market on Tuesday; New Year’s Eve opportunities; Restaurant goings and comings; Olive Season coming; Travels with Henri Episode No. 15

Shop Tuesday or forever hold your piece – of bread, croissant, cauliflower, or whatever your holiday meal needs.

Because Christmas falls on Thursday, the regular Friday farmers market will be next Tuesday in the Arnold Field parking lot on First Street West across from the Depot Hotel restaurant and adjacent to the Depot Park Museum. Growers and vendors of mushrooms, vegetables, jewelry, meat, crafts, flowers, plants, baked goods, nuts, cheeses, and hot-to-trot sandwiches will all be there from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for your holiday dining and gifting pleasure. There will be no Friday market on Friday, Dec. 26.

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Speaking of holiday dining, the Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Company sent out a press release recommending a two-page recipe of a veal and ricotta meatloaf made with the company’s Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste. Other ingredients would include carrots, garlic powder, oregano, flour, panko bread crumbs, Romano cheese, and vodka sauce. Don’t think I will try this one.

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Vintage House’s recent “A Vintage Evening” holiday party was its most fun ever and honored The Lynch Family, former owners and publishers of the Index-Tribune. Actor and hairdresser Len Handeland and auctioneer Ed Vaughn played old-fashioned news boys with stacks of I-Ts in their arms, alternating shouting out “Extra, Extra, Extra” to announce historic facts about the paper. Definitely a step up in tempo for this event.

Bruce Riezenman’s Park Avenue Catering did an excellent job. The “Bistro Filet” was excellent and abundant. Vegetarians raved about their crisp mascarpone polenta cake with vegetables. The Dulce de Leche cheesecake with a puff pastry crisp, raspberry coulis and salted pecan brittle were irresistable.

Among the guests were lots of Lynch family friends and neighbors including Joe and Beth Aaron, artist Patricia Akay, Marilyn and Bob Albright, former board president and Alcaldessa Mary Evelyn Arnold and David McFarland, Dave and board president and just-named Alcaldessa Marcie Waldron, Mandy and David Bolling, Suzanne Brangham and Jack Lundgren, Gerry Brinton, Kathleen and Jack Carter, Blythe and Bob Carver, Sara and Bill Clegg, Karin Collins, John and Christy Coulston, Katherine and Tom Culligan, Mary Ann and Richard Cuneo, Harriet and Randy Derwingson, Ruth and Gary Edwards, Ruth and Bob Elster, Helen Fernandez, Millie and Tom Ferrando, Susan and Norman Goldstein, Phyllis and John Gurney, Tom Haeuser and Antoinette Kouhry, Byron and Len Hancock-Handeland, Rev. L.A.King, Roy and Jean Knapp, Emily and Brian Krause, Jim and Linda Kuhns, Holly and Steve Kyle, lots of Lynches, Rob and Robin Lyon, Janet and Bob Nicholas, Jeni and Byron Nichols, Jack and co-chair Hope Nisson, Bill O’Neal, Carole and other Bob Nicholas, Bev Raaka, Beth and Bob Records, Mabeth and Bill Sanderson, Lorriane Sangiacomo, Cecelia and Wayne Schake, Sherry and Don Shone, Janice and Dr. Dan Stites, Carolyn and Bob Stone, Diana and Andre Tolpegin, Fred and Barbara White Perry, Hon. Diane Elan Wick, and Holly and Roger Wright.

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For the fourth year, multi-talented Lauren Benward Krause of Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen did the styling of photos and the cover for the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Holiday Gift Guide,” which was actually fun to look through, especially because our Sunday papers didn’t arrive until after 6 p.m.

Krause commented by email, “I love working with the Chronicle. It is such a fun, inspiring group of people. I greatly enjoy the opportunity of working with the team.” Perhaps they should use her talents more often.

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As promised, here is the whole review of what Zagat readers said about Café La Haye and owner Saul Gropman: “This ‘tiny gem’ off the Sonoma Square gets a ‘wow’ from fans who ‘can’t believe’ the ‘imaginative,’ ‘farm-fresh’ Californian fare that emerges from its ‘postage-stamp-sized kitchen’ as its ‘genial’ owner ‘makes great recommendations’ from the ‘well-thought-out wine list’; said to rival ‘some of the more recognizable names’ in wine country (but with ‘no attitude’), it offers only a dozen or so tables plus a few seats at the bar, and reservations are understandably a ‘challenge’ but considered ‘well worth the wait.’” Only the New York Zagat is still available in print.

Recent diners at Café LaHaye have heaped praise on La Haye’s sweetbreads and quail.

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Pace Development Corp. of Thailand announced recently that it has purchased Leslie Rudd’s Dean & DeLuca for $140 million. Pace CEO Sorapoj Techakraisri told the Wichita Eagle newspaper that “We want to capitalize on the global convergence of super-premium mixed-use property development and lifestyle brands.” My translation: Pace plans to open 200 more Dean & DeLucas.

In 2008, Rudd moved his headquarters operation back to Wichita, Kansas, where he was born and where he also owns Standard Beverage Corporation. Standard Beverage distributes spirits, wine and beer, including such prominent labels as Bacardi, Baileys, Hennessy, Jim Beam, Jose Cuervo, Seagram’s 7, Smirnoff, Southern Comfort, Corona, Heineken, Guinness, Sam Adams, Modelo, Dos Equis, Delicato, Domaine Chandon, Hess Collection, Kendall Jackson, J. Lohr, Robert Mondavi, Rombauer, Sutter Home and Yellowtail.

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Restaurant goings and comings:

Zin restaurant in Healdsburg, Arrigoni’s Deli in Santa Rosa, and Fish Story in downtown Napa are closing.

Jeff and Susan Mall will soon vacate their Zin restaurant, which will be taken over by the building’s new owner, chef Dustin Valette of Dry Creek Kitchen.

Jacob and Raja Naber have run Arrigoni’s Deli & Café on Santa Rosa’s Fourth Street since 1975 and have decided that’s enough. The Naber brothers own the building and tried unsuccessfully to sell the business, so they will lease it to Glenn Cybulski for a Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria franchise outlet.

Once housing the first espresso bar in Sonoma County, according to the Press Democrat, Arrigoni’s has lost coffee business to Peet’s across the street.

Lark Creek Restaurant Group this month closed Fish Story in Napa, Yankee Pier in Larkspur, and its original Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, selling the latter business to their landlord. Watch for the Napa corner on Main Street to reopen with a whole new concept under the same ownership. Apparently their other 11 restaurants are doing fine.

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New Year’s Eve comes around only once a year, thankfully!

Many of us prefer to stay home quietly, possibly with a good meal and some wine, good or bad. Some people take in a movie, and others go out and celebrate with permission to frivol wildly. Here are a few special dining opportunities to do it all in public, as sent to me by their proprietors.

Alphabetically:

Annex Wine Bar at Community Café: Margie Brook will serve a buffet of shrimp with fresh horseradish cocktail sauce; bacon, spinach and feta stuffed mushrooms, truffle deviled eggs, smoked salmon chowder, green salad with blue cheese, candied pecans and cranberries; prime rib; champagne chicken with mushrooms, Rosemary scalloped potatoes, and assorted sweets. Stan Pappas will channel Frank Sinatra for the last time. $50. 6:30 p.m. 865 W. Napa St., Sonoma. Tickets in advance at 938-7779.

Aventine Glen Ellen: Chef Adolfo Veronese will prepare a five-course tasting menu of their (addictive) black truffle organic popcorn, crostino with salmon tartar or hard boiled quail egg; lobster or fried rice balls with eggplant; sea bass with white bean puree and fried leeks, roasted duck breast with polenta and asparagus, or grilled beef tenderloin with potatoes au gratin and Brussels sprouts or vegetarian purple cauliflower flan with broccoli and asparagus; all followed by passion fruit pana cotta cotton candy with gold leaves. Two seatings; 5 p.m. $100, 8 p.m. $150 includes midnight champagne toast. Live DJ at 10 p.m. Reservations required at 934-8911.

Centre du Vin at Ledson Hotel: Chef Justin Bruckert at Steve Ledson’s jewel on Sonoma Plaza will offer a five-course meal of oysters Rockefeller; roasted chestnut soup; butternut squash ravioli; an eight-ounce filet mignon topped with Dungeness crab and Béarnaise sauce with asparagus and potatoes; followed by a chocolate orange pot de crème. $100 or $150 with wine pairings. Seatings at 6 and 9 p.m., the latter with midnight champagne toast. 480 First St. E., Sonoma. Reservations at 996-9779.

Santé at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa: Chef Andrew Cain will prepare an eight-course tasting menu of caviar two ways; black truffle soup in chicken consommé; hearts of Peach Palm salad with fennel bulb compote; Bellwether Farm’s Ricotta Gnudi with shaved Perigord truffles; butter poached Maine lobster with wild rice and toasted maitake mushrooms; Bordelaise poached wagyu rib eye with potatoes Dauphine, carrots and creamed spinach or dungeness crab crusted turbot with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts petals; all followed by Gianduja Chocolate with caramel almond ice cream. $299 includes tax and gratuity. Wine pairings $135 extra. Complimentary access to Veuve Clicquot Sparkling After Party. Or you can go to the After Party for $50. Reservations must be made with a credit card. 939-2415.

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Just to wet your whistle, Olive Season events start Jan. 3 with the Blessing of the Olives at Mission San Francisco Solano with music, refreshments, the blessing and it’s all free at11 a.m.

Martini Madness will again be at MacArthur Place on Jan. 9 for lots of fun tastes of lots of competitive bartenders’ best martini concoctions, all judged by judges and by the public. Lots of appetizers to help keep lots of guests sober. All of this is sponsored by Sonomans Amy and Fred Groth’s Prohibition Spirits and Solano Vodka. Get your tickets soon because this sells out lickety split. $48 Martini Madness, $95 Martini Madness plus three-course dinner at Saddles. 5 to 7 p.m. 29 E. MacArthur, Sonoma. Reserve at macarthurplace.com.

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Travels with Henri Episode No. 15.

As I hinted in Episode 14, Friday, our final full day at Chateau Dumas, was one of many mixed emotions.

We walked our everythings off at Toulouse’s fabulous flea market with only a few fleas, found treasures for each other, negotiated the best we could, had a long and festive wine-soaked lunch at Le Louche Bem upstairs from the Victor Hugo market, and rode the bus home to the chateau.

Many of us were tired but invigorated, sad to leave the chateau and each other, but excited about where each of us was gong next. Debbie and Jo were leaving for Reykjavik to take Icelandic Air back to Seattle, Georgene and her cousin were going to Bordeaux and then ramble around Spain, Diane and sister Karen were flying to Paris, Tony and Suzie were flying to London and then home to Sonoma, Sarah Anderson of Chateau Sonoma was packing a van to take fellow travelers’ and her own purchases to Paris to her shipper, and Cathy, Beth and I were getting a ride to the Matabiau Train Station in Toulouse to take the TGV to Paris.

The shipping boxes we had ordered were set up for assembly on one of Chateau Dumas’ long outdoor tables between the carriage house and the main building, as was Champagne (with a capital C because it was from Champagne) along with wine Sarah had purchased at Tour de Beaufort winery which we visited just three days earlier. That was where I led everyone to follow her into the bathroom, if you recall. Honestly, that evening I made myself a vodka martini at the rolling bar for this emotional occasion.

Thank heavens I had asked for two shipping boxes, and also thank heavens for Suzie Eglin, a former owner of several antique shops, who helped all of us pack our goodies sensibly and efficiently. We even lined the cartons with spare T-shirts and underwear, partly so we could fit a few pieces in our luggage. She even helped Sarah pack her van the next day.

When we finished some guests took little naps, others of us just sat together chatting and reminiscing.

Suddenly it was time for our farewell dinner, cooked by Chef Charlotte Clement and her daughter, Flora: duck confit, carrots, more vegetables, and a dessert of berries and homemade lemon gelato. We were joined at this farewell dinner by Lizzie and her mother, known as “Mama Jo.” Curious to me, since my son calls me “Jo Mama.”

Next week: The TGV ride to Paris and our arrival.